


Could I Have This Dance...

by Fangirl_Shenanigans



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, I threw a crackship in here for self satisfaction, KH in FFVII Setting, M/M, OOC will occur occasionally, Post DoC, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-07-11 22:18:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7072702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirl_Shenanigans/pseuds/Fangirl_Shenanigans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zack and Aqua never got their date in the universe where they first met, but due to meddling from the Lifestream they have a chance in a new one. From their first date to their wedding day, this is the story of Zack and and Aqua who are bound together in more ways than they realize.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Could I Have This Dance...

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part of an AU that my cousin inspired. It started as only writing Zack and Aqua's 'One Date' and quickly grew. Each chapter title is a song title (they do NOT always match up to the content of the chapter but a select word or lyric may pop into the writing the song are chosen based on what I was listening to usually).
> 
> The primary focus of this story is the budding romance between Zack and Aqua and the circumstances that bind Zack to her family that none of them realized. The reader may notice blatant hints about relatives and can guess who they are.
> 
> I got the name 'Harvey' from Cecil Harvey of FFIV fame and decided to use it as the last name for the BBS trio (My KH babies!)
> 
> This is hopefully going to at least be interesting but I doubt many will stay for the long haul, but those who do... LET ME VIRTUAL HUG YOU!

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters and locations set within these games. This is a story written purely for fun and dedicated to my cousin who reminded me Zack and Aqua never got their date.**

* * *

 

****The woman was a goddess; a blue haired goddess who reminded him so much of the ocean. That is what Zackary Fair thought the moment he laid eyes on the young woman who had been hired on by Tifa to help run 7 th Heaven. Medium length powder blue hair framed healthy peach skin and lovely violet-blue eyes that were complimented well by her indigo sun dress. It was summer in Edge and Tifa had made a new rule for staff that they were to wear clothing they would not burn up in until the air conditioner was repaired. Zack was busy watching the young woman with a dreamy look in his eyes that he didn’t notice he had company until he felt someone yank on his lone bang.

“Ouch!”

“Zack, did you hear anything I’ve said?” Cloud asked his tone patient but still tinted with irritation. Zack looked over to regard his friend with an apologetic look.

“Will you hit me if I say no?”

“No, I’ll encourage you to talk to her. Zack, if you feel drawn to her talk to her. You used to have no problem being the most open person in all of Midgar.” Cloud chuckled, amused that now it was he who was giving advice. It was still so bizarre having Zack alive and adjusting to living again. Zack thought about what Cloud said and decided he was right, what would it hurt to introduce himself?

“So, finally going to say hello?”

Zack was startled, not expecting her to have noticed he’d been watching her and he could feel his face flush. Aerith hadn’t gotten this sort of rise out of him just for acknowledging his existence.

“Yeah, I mean sorry for staring. Sorry, I don’t usually have this problem. I’m Zack.”

“I’m Aqua Harvey, nice to meet you Zack. So, do you always watch people?” Aqua was truly curious if it was just her, she rather hoped it was. Not many people showed any real interest in her because they knew her brother and family situation.

“Not the way I was watching you honestly. I watch them so I can get a handle on what is going on around me, but you…you kind of just steal my attention and I can’t help following you. Sorry! That sounds stalkerish huh?” Zack was nervous and he didn’t know why, just talking to her he felt that the more he didn’t want to screw up the more he did just that.

Aqua regarded the man with a soft smile, taking in his features now that she could focus on him since it was just after her shift. Zack’s raven hair reminded her a tad of how her brother’s stood, natural soft spikes that taper near the ends and they had similar mountain-blue eyes and then the differences made her smile. Zack was very open with his emotions in a positive way and was more akin to a puppy than a bear.

“I don’t think so. You wanted to ask me something though? Tifa said you may have something to ask me so I thought I’d bring it up.”

“Oh!” _Damn it! They were playing matchmaker?!_ Zack couldn’t believe he didn’t notice it, granted he never would have suspected Cloud of playing matchmaker but Tifa. Tifa was definitely up for it.

“Well, they were right actually. It’s sooner than I’d wanted, but I was wondering if you’d go on one date with me. Talk to each other and get better acquainted and see if we’d like a serious one.” Zack could feel his cheeks turn red like cherries and for the first time in his life he desperately wanted to bolt. Luckily two smaller hands grabbed his own to prevent it, a sweet smile looking up at him.

“Wednesday at 7:00, come to the only old-style house down Zodiark Lane. It’s a date.”

Even after Aqua had left with a smile and a wave, the former SOLDIER could hardly wrap his mind around what had just happened until a reassuring hand rested on his shoulder.

“Come on Zack, we better find you something to wear that doesn’t look like a uniform.”

Getting Zack fitted for casual wear was harder than it needed to be. Zack was tall but like Cloud he was lanky so they couldn’t find anything appropriate in any of the more common stores. Eventually Cloud was ready to give Zack up as a lost cause until they bumped into Reno, who had just walked out of a restaurant.

“Yo! Still rockin’ the uniform instead of some real clothes pup?”

“Reno, where can we get Zack something semi-formal that will actually fit?” Cloud quickly interjected, wanting to get this over with so he could go back home and sleep a solid five hours until he had deliveries to make. Reno seemed to read the mood and decided maybe he could give Cloud a hand.

“How about I take over with dressing the puppy and you head home Cloud? You look beat y’know; how late were you up with poor Denzel last night?”

“I didn’t even think about that.” Zack felt guilty, he knew that Cloud was technically a dad now and he knew Denzel had been really sick the night before. Poor kid was coughing violently and couldn’t keep down anything heavier than broth. The guilt was worse because it was the same 24-hour bug that Zack himself had just a day before. Zack could remember walking to get water to see Cloud still trying to soothe Denzel with Tifa. He really marveled how their strength and stamina to do so much and still have time to help the WRO when the needed it.

“Its fine Zack, all three of us got some sleep. I’m just glad Marlene was with Barret so she couldn’t get the bug next. Thanks Reno. Zack can tell you why he’s looking at clothes; I have a pillow calling my name.”

“So, how did you know about Denzel being sick Reno?” Zack asked, wondering if Reno would give him the typical answer.

“Did you forget I’m a turk, SOLDIER boy? Nah, Tifa called asking me if I knew anything that could settle a 24-hour bug in children. Told her to give the kid some herbal tea and chicken broth and stick with him until he felt he could sleep. So, Denzel aside, what do we owe the pleasure of trying to find you something ‘nice’ to wear?”

Zack’s face lit up like cherries again as he thought about the cute young woman who accepted his date.

“I uh... kind of have a date on Wednesday.” Zack gradually got out and Reno just laughed and clapped him on the back, blue eyes alight with joy.

“That’s great! I mean, you haven’t dated since Aerith right? Who are they? Details puppy, details!”

“Well, her name is Aqua and I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like...I just feel elated that she knows I exist let alone agreed to go out with me, well more took over the proposal and decided when I was picking her up. I was like she knew how to conquer my nerves.” Zack started to describe how he first met her, not even noticing he was starting to drift into a dreamy far off look. Reno laughed softly, trying to cover up his nerves. Reno only knew one Aqua, Aqua Harvey and he knew her brothers personally through his cousin Lea.

“Why’re you laughing like I’m going to die Reno?”

“I’m not laughing like you’re going to die Zack, why would you say that?” Reno countered, already trying to run the figures of just how dead Zack would be if Aqua’s brother found out Zack was SOLDIER. Terra had a deep-seated hatred of SOLDIER and based on the reports for what caused it he personally didn’t blame the kid at all.

“Reno, I know when a turk thinks someone is in danger. Cissnei gave me that look often enough. Spill, what’s wrong?”

“I’ll leave it at Aqua has two brothers and one of them could really hurt you if you gave him a good enough reason to. I’m not saying you shouldn’t go on the date, just that you need to be careful. Now, let’s find you a suit.” Reno said, thankful Zack didn’t press. After three specialty stores, they had to settle for the best tailor in the world: Tseng. Not many people knew the man had hobbies, but thankfully Reno did.

“I expect you be very prejudiced in the care of that suit Zackary as not only is it the only time it will be on the house, but it is the only time I will make formal wear for men. Dresses are much easier to make.”

“I promise Tseng, I’ll take really good care of it.” Zack said, marveling at the craftsmanship in the simple but refined outfit. The black pants had a blue stripe down each outer leg and the blazer was pure black and made of a lightweight material that wouldn’t kill him in the heat of June. The stitching was done so that no seams could be seen. Zack decided right there he would only wear it for special occasions.

 

Meanwhile on the other side of Edge in a cottage-style home, a certain young woman frets.

“What do I do Ven?! I agreed to a date without telling Terra! I don’t even have anything you’d wear for a date!”

“Aqua, it will be fine. You still have the rest of today and tomorrow to get it sorted out. I’m sure Terra will be mad at first but he’ll be happy you found someone you’re interested in.” Ven told his sister with a smile, he wasn’t actually sure how Terra would take the news but he knew Terra would calm down and think rationally about it after the initial blowup.

Finding Aqua a decent outfit that wasn’t purely casual or work related would be harder. Terra made most of their clothing because almost all of his paycheck went to groceries and bills. Materials for sewing and crocheting were much cheaper than most completed garments and it allowed them to get exact fits. Though as Aqua got older and her needs changed physically he made exceptions for certain garments.

“I’m home. I brought dinner with me.”

“Welcome home.” Aqua replied as she walked downstairs with Ven, trying not to worry at the exhausted look on her brother’s face as he set down a box of pizza. The only time they resorted to anything not made at home was when Terra was too tired to do grocery shopping or if he splurged on something (which was almost never). Ven immediately felt guilty and hoped it wasn’t anything bad that left Terra looking like that, then the 22-year-old looked up with a small smile.

“There’s a box in the back of the jeep for you Aqua, take it upstairs and look at it while I try to feel more human with tea.”

Aqua was confused and still worried but did as suggested, eyes widening when she saw the insignia on the box. The insignia was the logo for a shop that specialized in formal wear and repairs as well as hemming and dry-cleaning. Picking up the box she couldn’t help but run back inside and dash up the stairs with unbridled excitement.

“You got my text?”

“No Ven, I ran into Tifa when I was repairing the AC unit at 7th Heaven today and she told me Aqua had a date Wednesday with a friend of hers. So I went through mother’s old dresses and found the one that Aqua always liked and had it fixed up like new for the occasion. They don’t make dresses like that one anymore and I knew it meant a lot to her.” Terra replied, now sitting as if he was boneless on the recliner with a tumbler of sweetened iced tea with a lid and straw taking lazy sips of the leaf-made beverage. Ven just smiled, it seemed Terra was taking the news well and so was Aqua given the uncharacteristic squeal that left the 20-year-old’s bedroom.

Aqua was speechless as she looked at the contents of the box. Their mother’s favorite dress from her first date with their father was restored to how it looked before the destruction that claimed their hometown nearly ten years ago. The dress was  a light blue dress that stuck like a second skin to the body and fanned into a lose wavy skirt that ended at the middle of the calves of the wearer. There were no sleeves but a matching pair of lighter gloves that stopped at the shoulder and there sitting with it was the blue-star pendant she had eyed in the shop once many days ago with a note.

‘This dress was always meant to become yours once you found someone who caught your eyes, I figured as a dress of firsts it was fitting for your first date.’ – Terra

Aqua quickly changed, needing to see how if fit and she couldn’t help the tears falling down her face as she walked down the stairs in the dress with a smile on her lips.

“Thank you, Terra. I thought everything we had of mother was lost with Banora.”

“The dress wasn’t in Banora; it was with our uncle who was told to send it to us when you got old enough. It was sent to me when our uncle rejoined the Lifestream and I’ve kept it safe since knowing that mom would want you to have it. Just...don’t hold it against me if I feel the need to play the ‘threatening parent’ role...please?” Terra knew that when the actual day came he would probably suffer his usual ‘mama bear’ syndrome and threaten the man lucky enough to gain her favor.

Terra had been the same way when Ven just had a new friend over; he’d been scared that the friend was picking on Ven and learned it was mutual jest and not actual harm. Luckily the poor boy had taken it in stride and breezed over it just offering his hand and his name and a counter list of things he knew Ven could and couldn’t do. Terra liked Lea for being okay with him after the misunderstanding.

“I forgive you in advance Terra, you know that.” Aqua said, hugging her older brother soothingly. It was enough that he was willingly allowing her to go on a date and she wasn’t going to blame him if he did lose his cool, she just hoped Zack could take it in stride like he could so much else she had noticed. “Well, I’m going to change back then we can dig into the pizza. “

That night, two hearts burned with one thought: “Just one day more and we’ll share the same evening.”

END CHAPTER ONE

* * *

Mini-Game #1: If anyone can find the FFXII reference and place it's significance to XII, I will do a chibipic of one FFVII, FFVIII, FFX, FFXII, or KH character of your choice. Nothing fancy, just a quick cute doodle.

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you have idea to contribute or want clarification on something to be made in a future chapter please leave a message. If you have ideas for a one-shot short story for this AU even, feel free to drop a prompt.


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